Confession of Pain (2006)

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

This is no Infernal Affairs… Confession of Pain is exactly the type of movie that is so hyped up and combining with the ever dependable Tony Leung Chiu Wai, how can it possibly go wrong. Maybe it is because Neo watched this at the cinemas on Christmas Eve and quite frankly expected something more shocking and surprising than a rehash of what is already been seen millions of time before in Hollywood movies. In that it is a disappointing achievement and when the actual substance doesn't actually strike a cord with the audience until the end, you can only feel further disappointment. From the directors of Infernal Affairs, one would expect better, but the plot goes from cliché to cliché and eventually attempts to throw in some sort of classy ending that only leaves the audience more muddled than it should be. Sure there are redeeming factors, and credit must be given to the directors for not totally going the easier route, but rather emphasis with Tony Leung's character, and the reasons behind his own internal turmoil and the conflict of his mind both in the past and present. Still, this is a wholly average attempt and the result is pretty much falling way below the hype and expectation.Tony Leung Chiu Wai is Neo's favourite actor and he is without question, HK's best dramatic actor for the past decade or so. His performance here isn't exactly top notch, but his steer presence kept the audience watching the depth of his acting abilities. This is by no means an award winning performance, but in all ways, he pulled off an immensely difficult role to some degree of success. Takeshi Kaeshiro isn't an actor with the greatest range, but can be equally convincing as seen in plenty of Wong Kar Wai's flicks. Shu Qi appears here and there and seems more annoying than sexy. With that being said, Chapman To, is fast becoming the funniest supporting actors in HK today. After his underrated comic relief in Infernal Affairs series, Initial D and Colour of Truth, his performance here is pitch perfect and provides much needed comic relief in an over wise an uncompromising movie. His comic timing has improved and the moment he appears on screen, it is already worth a giggle or two. Laughing at him or with him, Chapman To, has succeeded in drawing a smile on my face.Those expecting Infernal Affairs should really look elsewhere, as Confession of Pain is really no where near that caliber nor is it aimed at a similar genre. Yes, it is about cops and good guys and bad guys, but ultimately it is partly a love story and partly about revenge and identity. Everyone have a reason for their actions, whether it is good or bad. Directors Mak and Lau fail in every department, except for the redeeming ending and the seemingly high production values. Ultimately the film is too predictable to be a thriller, too few Chapman To, to be a comedy and far too much Shu Qi to be not annoying. With that being said, the most important element that this film lacks is the almost non-existent connection with the audience and the effect is leaving the audience muddled up and confused. All in all, Confession of Pain is really a confession from the directors to the audience about how much pain it is to director this movie. Really, some parts of the journey is painful to endure, but at least they tried…I rate it 6.75/10www.thehkneo.com

All right, it is a so-so movie. I was disappointed the film had no mystery, the main point watching this is the mystery but I did not see it. The story is somehow confusing as they jumped from one scene to another. Hei and Bong were solving a case which Susan's so-called father was murdered. Now the director want to make you feel how the characters is feeling. That's pain. No mystery but is painful. No mystery, if the directors had not chosen to show the bad guy too early, it would had been better. But that's not the main point in this movie, the directors want the pain. The cast and the story is just okay, with the beautiful music as in the background, the film is okay. And the music sent chills up my spine, it is somehow spooky. If you wanna kill some time, watch it on DVD. Not really worth watching this in cinema. Those who want to crack a mystery, this is not for you.

Now here's a good waste of pent up potential, with one of the bigger Asian movies of the 2006 holiday season culminating in a largely uninspiring mixture of several elements that by all rights should have worked well together. At least the title is very apt for what transpires, though.With both Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Takeshi Kaneshiro throwing in their weight for this one, there seems no plausible reason for failure, as the two aren't only capable thespians and impressive on-screen, they've previously done good when working on the same project, to wit Chungking Express.However, this time around we are presented with a mediocre release that dabbles a bit too much in a wide array of influences ranging from crime sagas to supernatural thrillers. Confession of Pain (COP) actually nails none of those right smack on the head.It starts in 2003, presumably on Christmas Eve, as dashing detective Bong (Takeshi Kaneshiro) and his commanding officer Lau Ching Hei (Tony Leung) celebrate the festival by raising toasts and chasing down psychotic criminals. This is where you begin to notice that the movie needs to fess up to more than just it's title: so much is held back, it is as if audiences are expected to surmise literally everything on their own. Not necessarily a bad thing, but COP doesn't do very well with its hint-sprinkling, causing more frustration than anything else. And as every semi-intelligent moviegoer will tell you, most cases of this ilk inevitably lead to one obvious resolution or another, which certainly happens in this case.At any rate, these first scenes also showcase COP as a product very much endorsed by the Hong Kong government's infatuation with all things touristy, as car chases and other movements traverse the city's more glamorous and unique locales, even if geographically they don't always seem to make too much sense put next to each other like that.Following a few dark but celebratory successes, the story fast forwards three years to a present tense where Bong faces such tragedy he's moved to quitting the police and switching to the life of a perpetually drunk private eye. Conversely, the more disturbed Lau Ching Hei seems to have hit paydirt, marrying Susan, daughter of a rich businessman. She's done by excellent Xu Jinglei (Spring Subway, Dazzling, My Father and I), and forms the first half of this movie's dominant cast, the ladies. Her complement is Shu Qi, finally recovered from being a thin sliver in Three Times, and looking so sexy you can't get enough of her sweet, giggly portrayal of bar girl Fung. Although Xu Jinglei's northern, Beijing-derived manner isn't exactly at home in a Hong Kong-centric production (plus it's obvious she was dubbed over), Shu Qi's gorgeous visage, extensive Fragrant Harbor filmography and fluent Cantonese mean she's totally like a fish in water here.Without these two, COP would be close to a total loss. Fortunately, beyond the two female leads, it also possesses an uncanny knack for visceral violence. This is first evinced by a brutal sequence where Susan's wealthy dad gets clobbered over the head with a bronze Budha, with COP sparing us next to no detail. This continues in a few other scenes later on, and we commend directors Lau and Mak for deciding to go with it almost all the way.Another trait worthy of note is the film's unceasing attempt to throw viewers off. Important events are played and replayed from different perspectives on several occasions, and all seem perfectly reasonable as the story veers ever closer to a who dunnit. So, while COP is basically a blunt tale of violence, suffering, tragedy and revenge, it nonetheless attempts to rise above its simple building blocks with an almost clinical inability to stay still. Does this angle work? Not nearly as well as we would have liked it to. In the end, COP doesn't dish out enough interesting hints, red herrings, easter eggs or even crusty Christmas fruitcake to really intrigue. And even in the brief occasions when it does have you enthralled, the knowledge that sooner or later it'll all come crushing down precludes serious contemplation. This is no David Lynch outing.As mentioned before, none of the components introduced really get full play. Although Takeshi performs Bong to the best of his ability, and is once more a most likable actor, his relationship with Shu Qi's tantalizing Fung goes nowhere, as the girl pretty soon becomes little more than a comic relief sidekick. The police element isn't explored with any seriousness, featuring several cameos by Chapman To as a officer Tsui, a hapless fellow investigating the bizarre occurrences revolving Susan and her ersatz father. He adds very little to COP, something we regret. Tony Leung, on the other hand, was probably intended as a flatter character, and so we don't feel he was robbed of opportunity as much. Overall, he carries the aloof, surgical Lau Ching Hei with acceptable prowess.In the end, for something so apparently ambitious, COP gives you very little to take away and mull over, save for Shu Qi in tight jeans and minuscule outfits, but the less we know about what you do with that, the better. A more cohesive storyline would have been preferable, and of course injecting the thing with more elaborate, inventive conventions is high on the list of wish-they'd-thought-of-that's.To all intents and purposes, we are giving it a pass, yet with the females of the species looking so good and working so well in Confession of Pain, it's a guilty pleasure you may want to allow yourself this time of year.Rating: * * *

Seung sing, or directly translate as City of Wounds in English, is Andre Lau and Alan Mak's latest tale of men and women living with wounds that scars their heart in modern Hong Kong.The duo, who has created Infernal Affairs trilogy, pairs Tony Leung Chiu Wai (who was the leading actor from Infernal Affairs trilogy) and Takeshi Kaneshiro, as 2 detectives working on a case where Tony's father-in-law was brutally murdered. Takeshi, who was still living in the agony of his late girlfriend's suicidal death 3 years ago, helps his best friend in investigation. The fact is, Tony murdered his father-in-law, and uses his authority and wits to cover up on what he did. Along with the 2 strong actors are Shu Qi and Xu Jinglei, a Chinese actress from China.Somehow, Confessions of Pain does not seems to be as strong as Infernal Affairs. In terms of plot and flow of storyline, it seems similar like any crime thriller. In terms of ending, it is expected.However, Confessions have its strength that makes this movie watchable. Andrew and Alan pairs Tony and Takeshi as two leading actors, where both were reunited again after Wong Kar Wai's cult classic Chungking Express (1994). Tony and Takeshi did not have any crossover in Chungking Express, thus Confessions gives the duo a chance to see if there is any chemistry reaction.The experiment works. One commits the murder for vendetta, while another believes that the law should not be taken on his own hands. The two men who has their own beliefs displays a clash of ideas, which makes them question what do they really want to achieve at the end of the day. Confessions, some how, seems to be living in the shadow of Infernal Affairs. Nevertheless, it still goes strong.Shu Qi and Xu Jinglei plays the woman whom Takeshi loves and the wife of Tony respectively. Shu Qi might be the leading actress, but it was Xu Jinglei who steals the limelight. She has given the recent films from Hong Kong a fresh look, as her filmography features her works from China, with barely little productions from Hong Kong in her resume. Fans of Shu Qi might be disappointed, as her role does not seems to be vital, though necessary in the story.Confessions of Pain might be just better than average, but at least it is better than other B-productions made in the previous years.